Friday, December 27, 2019

Of Mice And Men The Great Depression s Poverty Of Low...

The American Dream has devolved from Gatsby’s ostentatious lifestyle to the Great Depression’s poverty of low expectations. In Steinback’s novella, Of Mice and Men, the story is shaped by the intense friendship between these disparate characters, Lennie Small and George Milton, and their legitimate aspirations to achieve a dignified livelihood by owning land. Lennie and George lead strenuous, arduous lives. Lenny’s intentions are always pure, but it always ends in death. George’s entire existence is based on talk. He knew he would never be able to own a piece a land, but he fathomed the idea into Lennie’s head. However, George was exceedingly loyal which is why I connected with him the most. George could have left Lennie decades ago, but he chose to stay with him simply because he loves him. Even though George complains profusely about staying with Lennie by saying things like â€Å"If it weren’t for you, I’d have things so easy†, he still would never leave Lennie regardless of what he says. Even without Lennie, George would not have things easy based on his economic situation, but that’s beside the point. George remains loyally by Lennie’s side and that’s the type of friend I hope I am to others. Imagery was prominent throughout Of Mice and Men. At the beginning of each chapter, Steinback would describe the setting of the scene or characters with imagery and he would use figurative language to aid in the vivid descriptions. One of the moreShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesand permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturersRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesmanaging, organizing and reflecting on both formal and informal structures, and in this respect you will find this book timely, interesting and valuable. Peter Holdt Christensen, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark McAuley et al.’s book is thought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from theRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesmoney From multiple study paths, to self-assessment, to a wealth of interactive visual and audio resources, WileyPLUS gives you everything you need to personalize the teaching and learning experience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from an experiencedRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pageschapter. 5. Use technology for developing conceptual understanding and analyzing data. The computer has brought incredible statistical power to the desktop of every investigator. The wide availability of statistical computer packages such as MINITAB, S-Plus, JMP, and SPSS, and the graphical capabilities of the modern microcomputer have transformed both the teaching and learning of statistics. To highlight the role of the computer in contemporary statistics, we have included sample output xvi Read MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pagessuggest changes to the text, the author would appreciate your writing to him at dowden@csus.edu. iv Praise Comments on the earlier 1993 edition, published by Wadsworth Publishing Company, which is owned by Cengage Learning: There is a great deal of coherence. The chapters build on one another. The organization is sound and the author does a superior job of presenting the structure of arguments. David M. Adams, California State Polytechnic University These examples work quite

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Language Is The Road Map Of A Culture Essay - 2209 Words

LANGUAGE CAN BE SEEN AND HEARD; IT CAN BE DIVERSE OR STANDARD. WITH THIS IN MIND, DISCUSS THE DIFFERENT ROLES THAT LANGUAGE CAN HAVE IN A CHILDS LIFE. â€Å"Language is the road map of a culture, It tells you where its people come from and where they are going†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Rita Mae Brown (Chaman l. Banga. (2015) INTRODUCTION The human race is the most advanced species in the whole universe, but it is dependent on language for communication and expression of their thoughts and needs. Language has its own forms and basis that play an imperative role in human life. Language can vary from place to place, but its motive remains same in the whole world that is ‘expression of the perception’. Language is understandable through its unique words and sounds, but it can also be interpreted through seeing various gestures and movements made by the other person. Language can be expressed verbally or non -verbally, just depending on the situation and the person. We can understand a conversation easily by hearing it, if we have developed a sense of knowledge about a language. But a child in his early stage is unknown to the words and sounds of a language so, he uses his gestures and hand movements as his language that can be understandable through seeing. Language can have various forms, but certain rules of language are followed throughout the world. These regulations and principles make a language reliable in the academic world and help to make a common pathway of communication. Such as theShow MoreRelatedInformation Age, All Share A Common Underlying Purpose859 Words   |  4 Pagesa great variety of maps available in the information age, all share a common underlying purpose. The fourth edition of Elements of Cartography concisely defines a map’s objective as â€Å"to add to the geological understanding of the viewer; it is a carefully designed instrument for recording, calculating, displaying, analyzing and, in general, understanding the interrelation of things in their spatial relationship† (Robinson et al. 1978). This is a truly holistic definition of a map, addressing not onlyRead MoreEssay on Theoretical and Researched Based Frameworks of Culture1288 Words   |  6 Pagescommunication as follows culture, Intercultural communicative competence , community of practices, and tele-collaboration. They are going to be examined through two key sources; theoretical works and research –based works. 2.1. Culture and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. In this section, different views of the term â€Å"culture† are going to be presented in order to determine its understanding in this study. Subsequently, the relationship between language and culture is going to be highlightedRead MoreThe Silk Road: Connecting China with The Mediterranean Essay975 Words   |  4 PagesThe Silk Road, a series of passageways connecting China with the Mediterranean, completely changed the world. These trade routes allowed the advancement of technology and cultural diversity like never before seen. These routes connected many different civilizations allowing the exchange of goods and ideas. This variety of nationalities made it a â€Å"Cultural Bridge between Asia and Europe. † Before these pathways were established trade was nearly impossible, due to extreme desert conditions and highRead MoreThe Importance Of Teaching Schools With Cultural And Linguistic Diversity Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pagespedagogical foundations to show the im portance for understanding how and why diversity is an issue that needs both personal and professional reflection. Examples of effective practice in three schools will be considered, Clover Park School, Richmond Road School and Finlayson Park School. Creating a learning environment that caters for diversity at Clover Park School involved using inquiry to restructure school values and beliefs to create a new more relevant school mission statement; this is the firstRead MoreWhy Do Some Budgeting And Planning Can Make Travel Happen?1545 Words   |  7 Pagesexperiences and stories that are born of travelling. If you are not possessed of unlimited financial resources (*read filthy rich), however, you will need to do some budgeting and planning to make travel happen. Honestly, even if you just plan a week long road trip to a state you’ve never visited, or a city you’ve never explored, the trip will be well worth whatever you spend. To help stretch those hard earned trav el dollars farther, there are numerous mobile applications and various tech you can use onRead MoreExploring Phuket 886 Words   |  4 PagesFEATURE Go for a walk around Phuket. Phuket is well known as a Pearl of Andaman because of its beautiful beach and many tourist places such as Patong Beach, Kata Beach, Karon Beach and Lam Promathep. Actually there are additional factors such as its culture, architect, historic and much more that is enough to make this city became a paradise. City of Tin. In the past, Phuket was the resource of tin exported to many countries in Ayutthaya. The tin industry was the most prosperous reign of King RamaRead MoreHistory Of The Silk Road Essay example969 Words   |  4 Pages The Silk Road, a series of passageways connecting China with the Mediterranean completely changed the world. These series of trade routes allowed the advancement of technology and cultural diversity like never seen before. These routes connected many different civilizations allowing the exchange of goods and ideas. This variety of nationalities made it a â€Å"Cultural Bridge between Asia and Europe. † Before these pathways were established trade was nearly impossible due to extreme desert conditionsRead MoreJob Trainee Intern At Enterprise Rent A Car1680 Words   |  7 Pageswithin. However, employees must prove his or her skills and understanding of the business in order to get promoted. As MT, there are monthly road maps that consist of questions about the o peration, technology, and customer service situational questions. The MT may complete the road maps at his or his own pace, whether it be a few months or one year. Road maps have been used as a tool to expose every employee to all and any possible situation he or she might encounter throughout his or her entire careerRead MoreCulture and Foreign Language: Teaching and Learning Essay1488 Words   |  6 Pagesto teaching culture within the foreign language teaching practice and different views of the term â€Å"culture† are going to be presented as a mean to explore the close relationship between culture and language and determine what is understood as culture in this study. As it was mentioned above, there are different definitions of culture. These views have relied on the different language acquisition theories and teaching approaches that have emerged in the history of foreign language teaching. (HinkelRead MoreReview Of Nicolo And Maffeo Polo 1595 Words   |  7 Pagesof their journey led to them being accepted into the Kublai Khan Court. This journey took place across deserts, mountains, and seas in East Asia, continuing along the Silk Road, and through regions that were unknown to the Western World. Also, they had many encounters with creatures, plants, and humans from different cultures. Through acceptance and service, Marco Polo was led to places far away that were rich of gems, gold, and silk. Yet, when participating in a military conflict in 1298 he was

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

The Face Of Gentrification Essay Example For Students

The Face Of Gentrification Essay Gentrification (The Long and dirty Word) Introduction and Research Question Gentrification is occurring in my community. I live in the Bronx but I went to high school in Harlem and sometime around my sophomore I began to notice new apartments built in the place of former project houses especially in East Harlem (Spanish Harlem). I saw some of the prices to these apartments and I knew the people in the neighborhood could not afford to live there. I live about a block away from †the projects† and for the past few years many new businesses have been built. Before coming to Bowdoin I noticed there was a change in the management of my building and that many repairs were being made. Everything seemed to be â€Å"glammed up†: the parking lot, the lobbies, even the mailboxes! When I went back home for Thanksgiving break, I found out that the rent (which had been steadily increasing) had been raised again, but this time by 50%. Reading articles like the Business Insider’s â€Å"New Yorks East Harlem: Neighborhood Fighting To Keep Its Culture In The Face Of Gentrification† made me think of what I saw in Spanish Harlem and made me wonder whether that was happening to my neighborhood. It helped me realize that gentrification is not something that only happens to public houses or is done simply to lower crime rates as much as politicians try to push that. My experience is in line with the traditional definition of gentrification-when a group of people are displaced to cater to a more privileged people. Through the analysis of my Twitter data, and with the help of Google trends, Gephi, Social Explorer, Batch Geo and the World Wide Web, I found ou t that gentrification is not only physical, it is also virtual. By examining the context in which #gentrification is used, this paper seeks to show the change in the use of the word gentrification depending on the space it is used. Early Hypothesis I expected to find many tweets from the East Coast because I thought gentrification mostly affected people in New York. I did not expect to find Tweets from outside the United States, not did I expect to find tweets in other languages. I expected the tweets to all discuss gentrification as something they were helpless against. LIT REVIEW Visualization is a â€Å"visualization is a jump from raw data† (Yau 2013, 92) that tells a story.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Social Networks Can Be Harmful free essay sample

New sites are always coming out, but are we thinking about what is best for our while being when using them? Some people seem to think that they are overwhelming and consume the priority of some people’s lives. The aspects to why social networking can be harmful to both adults and children are endless, but yet we keep using them. Psychology Disorders from Using Social Networks The first reason why social networks are harmful to a person is because it can cause psychology disorders. Research has shown that using social networks daily can cause psychology disorders.It can become addictive, and some go through withdrawal symptoms from not being able to use their favorite social network. It has also been proven that a strong presence in social networking can show more signs including, but not limited to, anti-social behaviors, anxiety, and depression. In a time that we live in where Internet devices are always on and meeting face-to-face is becoming rarer and rarer we need to back reduce our social networking use, if only for our own health, or our children’s health. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Networks Can Be Harmful or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is not necessary to update your page with every single thing you do, nobody needs to know where you are at all times, you should cut back if not only for privacy issues. Control Your Privacy The second reason why social networks can be harmful is because you may not always know what kind of privacy you’re getting. Social networking sites change their privacy settings often, and if you don’t keep up with what you have your settings set as, then they could reset without your knowledge.Facebook for example shows everything you’re doing, they know your location, what articles you have been reading, and your information can be shared with a third party. If you don’t care about what the world knows about you, then maybe knowing that some of social networks ads contain malware, which can cause harm to your computer. Social networking has opened a gateway into everyone’s lives, but are there not some things that should just be kept private?I think so, and this is why I believe you should control your privacy, and stay on top of it. At the most, social network users should only allow their friends to view their pages, not friends of friends, nor everyone. Having your privacy settings to share all your information with friend of friends could potential be sharing your information with 10’s of thousands of people. Know What Your Children on Social Networking Sites The third reason why social networking can be harmful is because children are uneducated on the dangers of these sites.It is not wise to go super detective on your kids, because then they will know and find other resources to gain access to the web. I think it is important to allow your children monitored access to social networks. Facebook offers ways to report harassment and sexual offenders pages, but there is still preda tors on these social networking sites, they make children think they are their age, only to gain their trust, so parents must also keep an eye on their child’s page to ensure they have no unusual suspicious friends on their pages. Most social networking sites have an age requirement for joining, but it is not but a simple year change to make them old enough to join, there is no real age verification, the rules say you must be 13 to join. Also, if your child has a suspicious page with not many post or uploads then you should look into them having another page, not for parent’s eyes. Keeping our children safe online, and teaching them appropriate behavior is the only way parents can try to protect their children.Every parent must have a talk about online use, and not to mention influencing your child to not bully someone online with words, it can be just as hard online as it would be in person, and kids tend to say much harsher things online then in person. All a parent can do is hope for the best and know they know what their child is doing, and that they educated them well. Conclusion In conclusion, social networking can be very harmful without the proper knowledge of what can really happen on these sit es.It can be bad for adults and children, but adults make their own decisions children have to be guided into the right direction, so before signing up for your next social network think about the effects it can have. They can because psychology disorders, give you know privacy, and a child could go unaware of the consequences of social networks. The aspects of why social networking can be harmful are endless, but yet we keep using them, and I know we will continue to use them; just have to be smart about the way we do it. References

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Sioux City Crash Essays - Aviation Safety, Sioux City, Iowa

Sioux City Crash INTRODUCTION Aircraft accidents can be a tragic thing. Some people may argue that all are avoidable. But when considering this statement, one must always remember there is an element that is in all accidents. Humans. Either through design, being flown by, or maintained by, humans are in all aspects of flying. As long as humans are in 100% control of an airplane there will be accidents. However, a good side to an accident is it is thoroughly researched by the NTSB. (National transportation and safety board). From a majority of those accidents, something can benefit aviation in general. Aviation can be benefited through design, training, or in this situation, re-evaluating current limitations to a safer level. The focus of my project is going to be on a particular accident that took place on July 19, 1989 when a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 aircraft crashed in Sioux City, Iowa. This particular type of aircraft, at the time of the accident, had been in production for about 18 years. The United Airlines jet was bound for Chicago when the tail-mounted engine broke apart and severed the aircrafts main hydraulic lines. Without hydraulics the aircraft wouldnt be able to maneuver. It would also have trouble slowing down for landing. This meant trouble for United Airlines flight 232 with 285 passengers and 11 crew- members on board. Statement of the Problem: A potential problem of complete hydraulic failure if the tail-mounted engine breaks apart. PAGE 1 Hypothesis Statement: My theory is this all could have been avoided. The actions taken after the accident could have been incorporated in the initial design of the aircraft. RESULTS On July 19,1989 a United Airlines DC-10-10 passenger plane took off Stapleton International in Denver Colorado. The plane was scheduled to make a quick stop in Chicago, Illinois and then continue on to Philadelphia, PA. After an uneventful hour of flight a loud thump was heard, followed by a shaking of the aircraft. The flight crew observed the tail-mounted engine had failed. (SEE FIGURE 3) While performing an engine shutdown procedure, the crew noticed that they didnt have any hydraulic pressure. They also noticed that the fluid level was at zero. The co-pilot tried to maneuver the airplane with no success. The crew then radioed to the air traffic controller that they needed emergency assistance to the nearest airport. Sioux City, Iowa was found to be the almost straight-ahead. The captain then briefed the passengers of the up-coming trials. It just so happen that there was a United Airlines DC-10 pilot instructor sitting in first class. He asked if he could be of any assistance and the captain asked him to see if there was any damage that the could see. The instructor found that the flight controls on the wings werent moving and that the horizontal stabilizer had damage to the left and right side. The horizontal stabilizer is the part of the aircraft that controls elevation and what is known as yaw. (Right and left turning) Now that they definitely knew they didnt have any flight controls the crew began to discuss what ways the aircraft could be maneuvered. PAGE 2 The instructor pilot recommended the use of engine power to maneuver the airplane. The idea seemed to work and being that all other options were few, the crew adopted this plan of action. When flight 232 was about eight miles from the airport they lowered the landing gear. To their dismay they learned from the air traffic controller that they were lined up on a runway that was closed for repairs. The captain elected to stay on course because of the difficulty to turn the airplane. The air traffic controller said that the runway was 3000 feet shorter but they shouldnt have any trouble landing due to the repairs. During the final approach the flight crew felt they were on course to make the landing. However they were a little faster than normal, due to not being able to lower the proper flight controls known as the flaps and slats. These two controls allow the airplane to fly at a lower speed. At about a hundred feet above the ground, the pilot reported that the nose dipped considerably and the right wing

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Biography of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Biography of Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (Jan. 15, 1929–April 4, 1968) was the charismatic leader of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He directed the year-long Montgomery bus boycott, which attracted scrutiny by a wary, divided nation, but his leadership and the resultant Supreme Court ruling against bus segregation brought him fame. He formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests and delivered over than 2,500 speeches addressing racial injustice, but his life was cut short by an assassin in 1968. Fast Facts: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Known For: Leader of the U.S. civil rights movementAlso Known As: Michael Lewis King Jr.Born: Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, GeorgiaParents: Michael King Sr., Alberta WilliamsDied: April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TennesseeEducation: Crozer Theological Seminary, Boston UniversityPublished Works: Stride Toward Freedom, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?Awards and Honors: Nobel Peace PrizeSpouse: Coretta ScottChildren: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, BerniceNotable Quote: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Early Life Martin Luther King Jr. was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Michael King Sr., pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Alberta Williams, a Spelman College graduate and former schoolteacher. King lived with his parents, a sister, and a brother in the Victorian home of his maternal grandparents. Martin- named Michael Lewis until he was 5- thrived in a middle-class family, playing football and baseball, delivering newspapers, and doing odd jobs. Their father was involved in the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and had led a successful campaign for equal wages for white and black Atlanta teachers. When Martins grandfather died in 1931, Martins father became pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, serving for 44 years. After attending the World Baptist Alliance in Berlin in 1934, King Sr. changed his and his sons name from Michael King to Martin Luther King, after the Protestant reformist. King Sr. was inspired by Martin Luthers courage of confronting institutionalized evil. College King entered Morehouse College at 15. He was uncertain about following in the footsteps of the familys clergymen, questioning religions relevance in addressing segregation and poverty among his people. King rebelled against a life of service to God, playing pool, drinking beer, and underachieving his first two years at Morehouse. King studied sociology and considered law school while reading voraciously. He was fascinated by Henry David Thoreaus essay On Civil Disobedience and its idea of noncooperation with an unjust system. King decided that social activism was his calling and religion the best means to that end. He was ordained as a minister in February 1948, the year he graduated with a sociology degree at age 19. Seminary In September 1948, King entered the predominately white Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania. He read works by great theologians but despaired that no philosophy was complete within itself. Then, hearing a lecture about Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, he became captivated by his concept of passive resistance. King concluded that the Christian doctrine of love, operating through nonviolence, could be a powerful weapon for his people. In 1951, King graduated at the top of his class with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. In September of that year, he enrolled in doctoral studies at Boston Universitys School of Theology. Marriage While in Boston, King met Coretta Scott, a singer studying voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. Coretta hesitated about dating a minister but was persuaded when King said she had all the qualities he desired in a wife. The couple married on June 18, 1953. Kings father performed the ceremony at Corettas family home in Marion, Alabama. They returned to Boston to complete their degrees. King was invited to preach in Montgomery, Alabama, at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, which had a history of civil rights activism. The pastor was retiring. King captivated the congregation and became the pastor in April 1954. Coretta was committed to her husbands work but was conflicted about her role. King wanted her to stay home with their four children: Yolanda, Martin, Dexter, and Bernice. Montgomery Bus Boycott When King arrived in Montgomery to join the Dexter Avenue church, Rosa Parks, secretary of the local NAACP chapter, had been arrested for refusing to relinquish her bus seat to a white man. Parks Dec. 1, 1955, arrest presented the perfect opportunity to make a case for desegregating the transit system. E.D. Nixon, former head of the local NAACP chapter, and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, a close friend of King, contacted King and other clergymen to plan a citywide bus boycott. The group drafted demands and stipulated that no African-American would ride the buses on Dec 5. That day, nearly 20,000 black citizens refused bus rides. Because blacks comprised 90 percent of the passengers, most buses were empty. When the boycott ended 381 days later, Montgomerys transit system was nearly bankrupt. Then on Dec. 20, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that enforcing segregation on public transit was unconstitutional. Buoyed by success, the movements leaders met in January 1957 in Atlanta and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to coordinate nonviolent protests through black churches. King was elected president and held the post until his death. In early 1958, Kings first book, Stride Toward Freedom, was published. While signing books in Harlem, New York, King was stabbed by a mentally ill black woman. As he recovered, he visited Indias Gandhi Peace Foundation in February 1959 to refine his protest strategies. Birmingham In April 1963, King and the SCLC joined Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) in a nonviolent campaign to end segregation and force Birmingham, Alabama, businesses to hire blacks. Fire hoses and vicious dogs were unleashed on the protesters by â€Å"Bull† Connors policemen. King was thrown into jail, where he wrote Letter From a Birmingham Jail, affirming his peaceful philosophy. The brutal images galvanized the nation. Money poured in to support the protesters; white sympathizers joined demonstrations. By summer, thousands of public facilities nationwide were integrated, and companies began to hire blacks. The resulting political climate pushed passage of civil rights legislation. On June 11, 1963, President John F. Kennedy drafted the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson after Kennedys assassination. March on Washington Then came the March on Washington, D.C.,  on Aug. 28, 1963. Nearly 250,000 Americans listened to speeches by civil rights activists, but most had come for King. The Kennedy administration, fearing violence, edited a speech by John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and invited white organizations to participate, causing some blacks to denigrate the event. Malcolm X labeled it the â€Å"farce in Washington. Crowds far exceeded expectations. Speaker after speaker addressed them. The heat grew oppressive, but then King stood up. His speech started slowly, but King stopped reading from notes, either by inspiration or gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouting, â€Å"Tell em about the dream, Martin!† He had had a dream, he declared, â€Å"that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† It was the most memorable speech of his life. Nobel Prize King, now known worldwide, was designated Time magazines â€Å"Man of the Year† in 1963. He won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year, donating his $54,123 prize to advancing civil rights. Not everyone was thrilled by Kings success. Since the bus boycott, King had been under scrutiny by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Hoping to prove King was under communist influence, Hoover filed a request with Attorney General Robert Kennedy to put him under surveillance, including break-ins at homes and offices and wiretaps. Poverty In the summer of 1964, Kings nonviolent concept was challenged by deadly riots in the North. King believed their origins were segregation and poverty and shifted his focus to poverty, but he couldnt garner support. He organized a campaign against poverty in 1966 and moved his family into Chicagos black ghetto, but he found that strategies successful in the south didnt work in Chicago. Blacks turned from Kings peaceful course to the radical concepts of Malcolm X. King refused to yield, addressing what he considered the harmful philosophy of Black Power in his last book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? King sought to clarify the link between poverty and discrimination and to address Americas increased involvement in Vietnam, which he considered unjustifiable and discriminatory toward the poor. Kings last major effort, the Poor Peoples Campaign, was organized with other civil rights groups to bring impoverished people to live in tent camps on the National Mall starting April 29, 1968. Last Days Earlier that spring, King had gone to Memphis, Tennessee, to join a march supporting a strike by black sanitation workers. After the march began, riots broke out; 60 people were injured and one person was killed, ending the march. On April 3, King gave what became his last speech. He wanted a long life, he said, and had been warned of danger in Memphis but said death didnt matter because hed been to the mountaintop and seen the promised land. On April 4, 1968, King stepped onto the balcony of Memphis Lorraine Motel. A rifle bullet tore into his face. He died at St. Josephs Hospital less than an hour later. Kings death brought widespread grief to a violence-weary nation. Riots exploded across the country. Legacy Kings body was brought home to Atlanta to lie at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he had co-pastored with his father for many years. At Kings April 9, 1968, funeral, great words honored the slain leader, but the most apropos eulogy was delivered by King himself, via a recording of his last sermon at Ebenezer: If any of you are around when I meet my day, I dont want a long funeral...Id like someone to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life serving others...And I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity. King had achieved much in the short span of 11 years. With accumulated travel topping 6 million miles, King could have gone to the moon and back 13 times. Instead, he traveled the world, making over 2,500 speeches, writing five books, leading eight major nonviolent efforts for social change, and being arrested over 20 times. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan created a national holiday to celebrate the man who did so much for the United States. Sources Abernathy, Ralph David. And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: An Autobiography. Paperback, Unabridged edition, Chicago Review Press, April 1, 2010. Branch, Taylor. Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63. America in the King Years, Reprint edition, Simon Schuster, November 15, 1989. Garrow, David. Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Paperback, Reprint edition, William Morrow Paperbacks, January 6, 2004. ï » ¿Hansen, Drew. Mahalia Jackson and Kings Improvisation.† The New York Times, Aug. 27, 2013. McGrew, Jannell. â€Å"The Montgomery Bus Boycott: They Changed the World. X, Malcolm. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley. Alex Haley, Attallah Shabazz, Paperback, Reissue edition, Ballantine Books, November 1992.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Threat Management Of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Threat Management Of Terrorism - Essay Example Most of the terror outfits in recent times have an ulterior political motive, and comprises of a very large and complex social network. One of the key measures of counter-terrorism strategies is to disrupt these terror networks by gaining corroborative evidence against its operations and pressing for military and/ or criminal proceedings against the culprits by way of seeking intervention of international bodies such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); International Police for Cooperation against Terrorism (Interpol); and the United Nations counter terrorism activities (Fraser, 2003; Deflem, 2004). This paper on ‘Threat management of terrorism’ discusses the various ways in the issue of global terrorism can be addressed and approached. Risk Calculation It is extremely crucial for decision makers to take calculated risks while undertaking counter-terrorism measures. This is because most of the time, the information collected regarding the terrorist activitie s, may result in poor judgments and hence poor decisions. Although the fact that no amount of planning and preparation on the part of counter-terrorism agencies can foretell or foresee all the terror attacks on a nation, a deterrence strategy based on defensive principles will, nonetheless, contribute significantly in restricting the extent of damage or at the most, prevent the dissipating of scarce national resources (Lebovic, 2007). Risk calculation might not help in completely averting the attack but it does play a key role in quantifying the extent of damage to human life and property and take pre-emptive measures to support and / or contain the aftermath. Today, due to the increasing use of technological aids and computer simulation it has become easier to calculate with accuracy, the degree and extent of damage likely to be caused by a certain act of terror. One of the most critical aspects / aftermath of such attacks is the number of casualties and economic loss. The risk cal culation strategies prove to be highly useful in mitigating the damage through development of counter-terrorism methods, evaluating the risk implications, and implementing crisis management strategies, in the most cost-effective manner possible (Larche, 2008; Dixon, 2007). Furthermore, strategies such as red-teaming and blue-teaming exercises which refer to the process of defining the weaknesses of a system and developing methods to mitigate the resulting vulnerabilities, can be implemented as an effective countermeasure (Carter, 2002). Reducing risk: Reducing the risks associated with terrorist attacks is perhaps one of the most crucial aspects of threat management. Thanks to the ever increasing technological developments, reducing such risks has become easier and cost-effective, over time. One of the key strategies to ensure reducing the terrorism risks is to enhance the level of security. Care must be taken to install effective special protection technology which helps in avertin g and detecting potential risks, particularly at places which are highly vulnerable to terror strikes and prone to such attacks. Some of the most commonly used technological vigilance aids include installing of CCTV cameras in places of high risk, deploying of security guards and metal detectors; using intensive

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Article Critique #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Critique #3 - Essay Example Nine of the articles have only â€Å"maternal† or â€Å"mother† in the title, though most of the other references refer to â€Å"father,† â€Å"paternal,† or â€Å"men.† A total of 7,601 men completed questionnaires for the study, a large study to say the least. The researchers assessed children at 3  ½ and 7 years of age, and data were compared for children whose fathers reported prenatal or postnatal depression (or both). The researchers theorized that exposure to father depression even before birth can affect the behavior of the child, even if the depression itself clears up. Although more than 7,000 total questionnaires were completed, only 175 reported prenatal-only depression, 166 reported postnatal-only, and 89 reported both. The results of comparing these three groups together with the controls (never depressed) show that both prenatal and postnatal depression in fathers causes children higher levels of behavior problems later in life, usually conduct disorders, and fathers who reported depression at both times were even more likely to have children with behavior problems. The researchers broke the data on the children into boy and girl sets. Their findings show that both postnatal depression and pre- and postnatal depression caused boys behavior problems, but interestingly the prenatal only group of children exhibited conduct problems but not emotional or overall problems. The findings for girls were less statistically significant, but the analysis showed that girls exposed to depression also had more conduct problems than girls who were not exposed to paternal depression. Basically, it is clear that boys exposed to their father’s depression, even if it is just prenatally, exhibit behavior problems in later life more than boys who are not exposed to paternal depression. The study is limited by the broad nature of the population (7,601 total) and the small number of men reporting depression (430

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Medicaid and the Uninsured Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicaid and the Uninsured - Essay Example However, it seems that the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) (2005) poses a threat to those families who might use Medicaid and SCHIP. Reasons include the imposition of cost sharing, the complications involved in levels of income and percentage of cost demanded, and the need for individual families to keep records that determine what percentage to pay. This is difficult and complicated, as many such families' incomes vary a lot. Research also shows that imposing premiums makes people stop paying or applying for cover. Having such tight budgets already, this represents a further demand on limited resources. Knowing that treatment may be refused if one cannot pay is yet another deterrent. Restrictions on adults without children, enrolment processes, and the lack of knowledge of what is available are other factors preventing both adults and parents taking up insurance for themselves or their children. Christopher P. Tompkins, Stuart H.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Temperature, Humidity and Air Quality Index Relationship

Temperature, Humidity and Air Quality Index Relationship The relationship between temperature and humidity and air quality index in Suzhou and Jinan Lixiu. Zhang in class two. (Student ID: 1514401038) Soochow University. College of Science and technology Abstract This is a study about the relationship between temperature and humidity and air quality in Suzhou and Jinan. A hypothesis was formed that higher temperature and humidity can result in better air quality. The data was collected daily from May 12th to May 30th. Using simple linear regression model, the study found no significant correlation between these three variables in either Suzhou or Jinan. Introduction       Air pollution today is becoming an increasingly serious issue in China. As incomes rise and priorities shift away from only pursuing money to ensuring a better life, environmental awareness is also soaring. So more and more attention has been paid to what affects air quality. This study tried to find the relationship between air quality and weather elementshumidity and temperature. Considering that high near-ground temperature will accelerate vertical air convection, which will dramatically reduce near-ground pollutants, a hypothesis was formed that: the higher the temperature, the better the air quality. Another hypothesis was that higher humidity will cause better air quality, which is based on the fact that droplets in the air can combine solid particles like PM 2.5 to reduce air suspension. This study assessed the effect of humidity and temperature on air quality, in which humidity refers to relative humidity, expressed as a percent. The unit of temperature is „ƒ. AQI is short of Air Quality Index, which is calculated from five major air pollutants: O3, CO, SO2, NO2, and PM2.5. Higher AQI value means a greater level of air pollution and greater health concern,which is shown as follows: AQI 0-50 51-100 101-150 151-200 201-300 Levels of air pollution good moderate Slightly-polluted Moderately-polluted Heavily-polluted Suzhou and Jinan were involved in this study. Suzhou, a major city located in southeastern Jiangsu Province, has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate . As the capital of Shandong Province, Jinan has a warm temperate continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. These two cities were chosen because they have similar climate except Suzhou is more humid. Thus they can be compared to obtain more reliable data. Sampling methods and schedule of data collection are presented in Method section. Tables and graphs are showed in Results part. Discussion part is the explanation of the data. A summary with recommendation of improvement follows in Conclusion part. Methods The data, containing the value of humidity, temperature and AQI, were collected daily at 3PM-4PM from May 12th to May 30th. To make it more representative and reliable, the data was collected in two cities and from two different sources: www.nmc.cn ( the website of National Meteorological Center ) and Moji APP. The final data was collected after comparing these two sources. Results The data contains three variables from two cities, and is 19 days in total, from May 12th to May 30th. The data collection efforts was effectively carried out, and missing values were minimal (below 5%). Graphs and tables are shown as follows: figure 1: AQI VS temperature in Suzhou figure 2: AQI VS temperature in Jinan figure 3: AQI VS humidity in Suzhou figure 4: AQI VS humidity in Jinan Based on the analysis of simple linear regression, the relationship between variables are revealed by regression equations, which are shown in the figures. R ² is also presented to show how well the points fits. Note that figure 1 fits well except points (19„ƒ,107) and (28„ƒ,107), which is probably due to the low humidity on those two days. The peak value of AQI appeared in May 25th in Suzhou with 28„ƒ and humidity of 75%. For Jinan, the peak value lies in May 27th, with 18„ƒ and humidity of 71%. Discussion Figure 1 presents the relationship between temperature and AQI in Suzhou. Though not significant, this figure does suggest a positive correlation between these two variables. In other words, the higher the temperature, the worse the air quality, which contradicts the first hypothesis: higher temperature causes better air quality., As shown, most of the points fit well except for the two outliers as mentioned in last part, which pull down the value of R ². While figure 2 shows no correlation between temperature and AQI in Jinan with R ² less than 0.1. Maybe this is because the human factor is more significant in Jinan . As for humidity, there are no correlation in either figure 3 or figure 4, with R ²=0.13012 in Suzhou and 0.00383 in Jinan. As humidity gets greater, the value of AQI hardly changes or changes irregularly, which suggests that the second hypothesis is also wrong. There is no relationship between humidity and AQI. Conclusion To conclude, theres no significant relationship between temperature and AQI. Although AQI turns higher as temperature goes up in Suzhou, the correlation is not so significant. Neither in Suzhou nor Jinan were the relationship found between humidity and AQI. This is because air quality is the result of combined effects of multi-factors, so its very hard to figure out the effects of a single variable. Limitations exist because the size of sample is too small. Bias is possible as the data was collected in two big cities, in which human factors are very significant, and thus rural area and other small cities are excluded in this research. I recommend that further research should collect abundant data and choose more representative cities or countries. Furthermore, if conditions allow, future researcher had better singularize the variable when analyzing how a specific variable affect air quality. References The Website of National Meteorological Center. ( May, 2016). http://www.nmc.cn/. Moji Weather.(May, 2016). Moji Fengyun science and technology company. Appendix original data

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Advanced Medical Technology Solution Essay

Would you, as Mr. Winter, recommend a loan to AMT? If so, on what basis? As Mr. Winter, I would recommend a loan to Advanced Medical Technology Corporation (AMT). There are several reasons why I would recommend a loan to AMT. The biggest factor is this company is still in the growth / infancy stage of its life cycle. They have invested large amounts of capital into the research and development, and marketing of its products, and it is too soon to see the rewards from these investments. Some of the changes that need to be made in order for a loan to be approved for AMT include improving manufacturing efficencies, short-term loans, operations, and managing their accounts recieveables. The manufacturing operations of AMT can be streamlined which will enable AMT to see greater profits. Right now they are building in ten to twelve week lot sizes, and they are not always making the products they need. With the investment into a information system, they can streamline this process. This was installed in 1984, and they are making progress. I would recommend reshuffling some positions (i. e. , MRP, planning, master data) in order to obtain the full benefit of the information system. They can build larger lot sizes of some products which will cut down on the direct labor costs for the materials. Making only the products they know they have demand on will minimize the excess and obsolesnce amount they have to reserve for each quarter. AMT can also improve its accounts receivable days outstanding ratio by having more control over it’s A/R. Having someone do background checks on new customers instead of granting all new customers the same 30 days. Some customers with poor credit history should be given no credit, and must pay COD or before the products are shipped to minimize risk of default. Well-known customers or customers with great credit can be given more than 30 days. Also, collection of past-due accounts should be pursued more aggressively. Based on the criteria mentioned, and the financial statements, I would give AMT the full $8 million line of credit. The company has had great growth in its revenues. Although this company has not been profitable over the last three years, if it had to turn a profit, it could do so by eliminating research and development. Just by selling existing products, it would have had a net income of $3. 8 million in 1985 if it did not have the research and development expense. I am not advising the removal of R&D, I am just providing a worst case scenario for the company. Ending the R&D department would cause no new products, and new improvements to existing products in an ever changing evenronment. This company has the potential to become profitable in 1986, and pay down significant amounts to its debt by the end of 1987. And they need to pay down some debt in order to improve their working capital which was fine in 1983, but because of expenses (possibly related to the installation of the information system) in 1984 its working capital has soured.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Age of Extremes Essay

The twentieth century was rich in events and outstanding personalities. In his book Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm provides an extensive review of what happened during the Twentieth Century and the impact of those events on human development. According to Hobsbawm, the Twentieth Century was both the Age of Catastrophe and the time of the extraordinary economic growth – a complex sandwich of events and developments that changed the human society â€Å"more profoundly than any other period of comparable brevity† (Hobsbawm, 1995). In the first two chapters of Age of Extremes, Eric Hobsbawm (1995) tries to evaluate the social and historic legacy of the Twentieth Century and creates a brief picture of the events and accomplishments that took place between 1914 and 1991. The author is confident that human society cannot distance itself from the events of the past, because everyone on the globe, irrespective of their life history and personal background, went through more or less similar central experiences that affected them all (Hobsbawm, 1995). Hobsbawm (1995) traces the evolution of the Twentieth Century from the First World War, which marked â€Å"the breakdown of the western civilization of the nineteenth century† (p. 6). The western civilization was characterized by capitalist economy, liberal constitutional structure, bourgeois image of the hegemonic class, and the glory of scientific, educational, technological, knowledge, and moral advance (Hobsbawm, 1995). The decades following the beginning of the First World War were the Age of Catastrophe: until the end of WWII, the society stumbled from one calamity to another and lived at the edge of survival (Hobsbawm, 1995). The failure of the major colonial empires and the economic crisis of unprecedented depth added their share of complexity to the state of world affairs (Hobsbawm, 1995). Hobsbawm (1995) believes that the victory of the Soviet Union over Hitler was one of the most important events of the Twentieth Century. Without it, the whole Western world could have turned into set of variations on fascist themes (Hobsbawm, 1995). The rise of the socialist movements was the direct result of the weaknesses in the nineteenth-century bourgeois society (Hobsbawm, 1995). How and why the world threw itself into the Golden Age of capitalism between 1947 and 1973 remains one of basic historical puzzles; but the Golden Age could not be endless and the global crisis that followed affected all, irrespective of their political, social, and economic configurations (Hobsbawm, 1995). The economic crisis gradually extended to cover political issues – the collapse of the Soviet Union produced an enormous zone of political uncertainty and destroyed the stable system of international relations (Hobsbawm, 1995). The economic and political uncertainties were followed by the moral and social crisis – the crisis of beliefs, which humans had used over the course of the Twentieth Century to win their battle over the nineteenth century’s ideology (Hobsbawm, 1995). The century that had begun with unbelievable optimism and faith in the future ended with a bang and a whimper, leaving the society in the midst of the moral, social, economic, and mental collapse (Hobsbawm, 1995). In Hobsbawm’s (1995) view, the Twentieth Century was the time of unprecedented achievements and dramatic failures. The cyclical nature of evolution resulted in continuous instability and profound economic, social, and political shifts. For many countries, the Twentieth Century became the time of remarkable changes and the beginning of the new era of uncertainty and chaos. Whether countries succeed in resolving the existing controversies depends on how well they can learn the lessons of the past and use wisely the historical, political, and moral legacy of the stormy Twentieth Century. Conclusion The Twentieth Century was the time of unprecedented achievements and failures. The capitalization of the word combination â€Å"Twentieth Century† by Hobsbawm (1995) is not accidental. The author feels that the Twentieth Century reflected a unique paradox: the triumph of the material values and their absolute rejection at the end of the era. The century that had begun with unbelievable optimism and faith in the future ended with the deep crisis of the moral and mental ideologies, leaving humanity in the midst of the social, economic, cultural, and moral collapse. Whether countries succeed in resolving the existing controversies depends on how well people can learn from the past and use wisely the historical, political, and moral legacy of the stormy Twentieth Century.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Woolly Worm Caterpillars and Winter Forecasts and Folklore

Woolly Worm Caterpillars and Winter Forecasts and Folklore Every October, NOAAs Climate Prediction Center releases a winter outlook to give the public the best possible scientific prediction of how the winter may shape up across the nation; but in the pre-NOAA days, folks got this same information from a more humble sourcethe Woolly Bear caterpillar.  Ã‚   Called woolly bears in the Midwest and Northeast, and woolly worms in the Southern U.S., Woolly Bear caterpillars are the larvae of Isabella tiger moths. Theyre common to the United States, northern Mexico, and the southern third of Canada, and are easily recognized by their short, stiff bristles of reddish-brown  and black fur. How to Read a Woollys Colors According to folklore, the woolly worms coloring is said to indicate how severe  the coming winter will be in the local area  where the caterpillar  is found.  The Woolly Bear caterpillars body  has 13 distinct segments. According to weather lore, each one corresponds to one of the 13 weeks of winter. Each black band  represents one week of colder, snowier, and more severe winter conditions, whereas orange bands indicate  that many weeks of milder temperatures. (Some even believe that the position of the bands which part of winter. For example, if the tail end of the caterpillar is black, it means that winters end will be severe.)  Ã‚   Two other versions  of this folklore exist. The first relates the severity of winter to  the thickness of the caterpillars coat. (Thicker coats signal  colder winters, and a sparse coat, milder winters.)  The final  variation deals with the direction in which the caterpillar  crawls. (If a woolly crawls in a southerly direction it means hes trying to escape the cold winter conditions of the north. If he travels on a northward path, that indicates a mild winter.)    Significance of Solid-Colored Woolly Worms Not all woolly worms have alternating orange  and black markings. Occasionally, youll spot one thats all brown, all black, or solid white. Like their brown and black relatives, they too have : Orange:  Just as reddish-brown segments signal a week of mild temperatures, an all brown caterpillar  suggests  an overall mild winter with above-normal temperatures and insignificant snowfall.Black: An all black caterpillar  signals the onset of a very hard upcoming winter.White (sand-colored): White woolly worms are said to predict winter snowfall. Spotting one is supposedly a strong indicator that heavier than average snows   or even a blizzard   can be expected in the region during the winter season.   How Fame Found the Woolly Worm The woolly worms talent was first discovered in the late 1940s by Dr. Charles Curran, former curator of insects at New York City’s Museum of Natural History. As the story goes, Dr. Curran measured the coloration of woolly bear caterpillars between 1948 and 1956  at  Bear Mountain State Park. During those years, he found that 5.3 to 5.6 of the observed caterpillars 13 body segments were  orange. As his counts suggested, the winters for each of those years turned out to  indeed be  mild.  A reporter friend of Currans leaked his  forecasts to a NYC newspaper,  and  the  publicity the story  generated made woolly  bear caterpillars a household name. Is the Folklore True? Dr. Curran found that the width of reddish-brown fur correctly matched the winter type with 80% accuracy. While his data samples were small, for some people this was enough to legitimize  the folklore.  However, for the majority of todays  professionals, it isnt sufficient data. They argue that not only is a woolly bears coloring  based on its age and species, but also  that it would take researching an awful lot of caterpillars in one place over a great many years in order to make any conclusions about  woollys and  winter weather. One thing most can agree on is that regardless of whether or not the folklore is true,  its a harmless and fun autumn tradition to take part in. When and Where  to Spot  Woolly Worms Woolly worms are usually seen  in autumn  on sidewalks and  roadways.  If you do meet one, dont expect it to hang around for long. Woollys are busy creatures, always on-the-go  searching for a cozy home underneath a rock or log to overwinter in. They  move  pretty fast too (as worms go)!  Ã‚   One sure-fire  way to meet a woolly is to attend a  woolly worm festival. 2016  Woolly Worm Festivals Like  the  groundhog, woolly worms have become so  popular, several festivals have sprouted up across the United States to honor them. The  longest-running festivals are celebrated in:   Vermilion, Ohio. Ohios annual  Woollybear Festival  is one of the longest-running in the US. The festival started more than four decades ago, when  TV weatherman, Mr. Dick Goddard, proposed the idea of a celebration built around using the worm to forecast the upcoming winter. He still hosts the festival to this day.  This years festival is scheduled to be held October 2, 2016. Banner Elk, North  Carolina.  Held every third weekend in October.  This years 39th Annual Woolly Worm festival dates are October 15-16, 2016.   Beattyville, Kentucky. Beattyvilles Woolly Worm Festival is always the last full weekend in October.  This years 29th annual festival will take place October 21-23,  2016.   Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Currently in its 19th year, this years festival will take place on October 15, 2016. If youre a fan of woolly worm festivals, let us also recommend these weather-focused festivals.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Farewell My Concubine essays

Farewell My Concubine essays There are many themes that permeate Chen Kaiges film, Farewell My Concubine. Fore the purposes of this paper they will be presented in three parts: historical perspective, sexual identity and relationships, and social commentary/criticism. Although some critics of the film make the argument that the film is not about a historical perspective, but rather on sexual identity and human relationships, it is not possible to altogether excuse the historical elements of the film, because there are few and the ones shown are extremely critical to the other themes the movie presents. So then one must question not whether these historical scenes are important in analyzing the film, but why was each historical event selected to be used, and how does it add to the other themes of sexual identity, relationship interaction, and social commentary and criticism? While the films main plot follows the relationship between two Beijing Opera stars, Duan Xiaolou and Cheng Dieyi, from their childhood to old age, there are also many subplots, such as the fragmentation of their relationship as a result of Duans marriage to Juxian and the historical events that challenged their loyalty to each other in the face of physical and emotional torture. It is the combination of all of these plots in the context of the three thematic approaches presented in this paper that the full effect of Chen Kaiges film may be realized. Historically, Farewell My Concubine covers the time period from the late Qing dynasty to the post-Mao era, mainly focusing on two key events in Chinese history, the Japanese invasion and the Cultural Revolution. The Japanese invaded China and entered the capital of Beijing in 1937. This invasion launched the pacific front of the Second World War whose fighting didnt end until 1945 with the Americans atomic bombing of Japan. The atrocities committed by the Japanese are shown in the scenes following Duan ...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

A hypothetical disaster scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A hypothetical disaster scenario - Essay Example However, there is no difference between this earthquake and the California earthquake. Data needs to be collected on the extension of the effects of the earthquake. The earthquake might have triggered other earthquakes or even tsunamis. Facts deploy that the crustal plates that compose the surface of the planet are seen moving all the time. They are identified moving at a rate that is equal to the development of fingernails. They are ought to be moving away from each other. This then leads to the oozing of the magma up which forms a new crust. Therefore, they may slide past each other or even towards each other which makes the current crust to be destructed. The main thing that may make them stick together thus forcing a deformation when they continue their movement is through friction. The faults are subjected to breakage where seismic waves are when friction is by deformation. However, the divergent boundaries may occur at the mid-ocean ridges or even in the rift zones. This is where the new crust if formed. These regions are subjected to earthquakes of which they are not that hazardous in the part because they appear to be small and happen to be far away from people. During the time when the plates are moving apart, the transform boundaries are the motion of strike slip of the San Andreas Fault. The earthquakes happening in these regions happen to be shallow and thus they produce moderate magnitude earthquakes. The convergent boundaries occur when there is a collision of the plates. If the plates are both continental plates, huge mountain ranges created by the crust that crumbles out in the process of formation just like the Himalayas. If the movement happens to be in between the continent and the ocean, the oceanic plate which is of high density, is sub ducted in the floating continental plate which happens to be of low density. The regions where subduction takes place are always terrifying thus they occur infrequently in that the locals

Friday, November 1, 2019

Comparative Analysis of Portugal and Australia Culture Essay

Comparative Analysis of Portugal and Australia Culture - Essay Example Comparative Analysis of Portugal and Australia Culture For an individual, it is imperative to comprehend the multicultural values especially in the business environment to successfully perform the assigned activities. With this concern, in order to ascertain cultural distinctiveness of the host or target country i.e. Australia, a person working in the corporate sector in the nation was interviewed. Subsequently, a number of critical facets have been derived that would enable to meet the ensuing challenges in a diverse culture. The objective of the study is to determine the various cultural dimensions which differentiate the business and cultural environment of Australia from Portugal. The behavioral dimension, work purpose, time and human nature among factors are evaluated. The cultural environment of Australia differs from that of Portugal on the basis of certain grounds. From the conversation with the designated individual and from revealed researches, it has been ascertained that the culture of Australia gives much significance to ascertaining harmony of the country which influences the workplace. The harmony is valued to bring cohesiveness and promote diversity in Australia which supports the work culture to a great extent. Australia renders more significance to the individualistic culture, which makes the society loosely knit. This characteristic is displayed in the business environment where the employees are estimated to be self-reliant and exhibit initiative. The people of Australia are modest, val ue authenticity, sincerity and give more importance to the business. The hiring and the promotion of the people in Australia depend on the merit of the individuals. Conversely, in Portugal, the importance is given to the moral and relationship factor. The cohesiveness of the people in Australia makes it a better place for business than in Portugal. The Portugal culture gives more importance to personal relation than business. The commitment among the people is more in Portugal as they follow the collective approach, which gives more importance to the group member than an individual (ITIM, â€Å"What about Australia†; ITIM, â€Å"What about Portugal†). UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE The rules and procedures are flexible in Australia as it follows the pragmatic culture for avoiding uncertainty. With reference to Hofstede’s cultural dimension, it is observed that the score of Australia is 51 as compared to 104 of Portugal which signifies that the Australian culture gives em phasis on idea generation, innovation and has a risk taking approach to help the work environment to flourish amid the changing uncertainties. Whereas, the Portuguese culture states that they follow rigid rules and procedures which help them to avoid uncertainty better than Australia. The people do not focus on emotions much and emphasize planning to make the business grow. The culture emphasizes more emotions, beliefs and have a risk-averse behavior (ITIM, â€Å"What about Australia†; ITIM, â€Å"What about Portugal†). SOURCES OF TRUTH In the Australian organizational culture, the managers are easily accessible due to a flexible hierarchical system. The communication system is informal in Australia which gives scope for both the management and the employees to have a free interaction. Thus, employee for any query or in search of truth

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Combining Melodrama and Docudrama through Various Mise-en-Scene to Essay

Combining Melodrama and Docudrama through Various Mise-en-Scene to Create Portraits of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana - Essay Example Instead, the film concentrates on Queen Elizabeth’s reaction and immediate behaviour following the death of Diana. It attempts to create a very specific portrait of the Queen as both a monarch and an emotional and flawed human being. Though the character of Diana is not acted out, through real video footage, media excerpts and the opinions of many people, a portrait is also created of her, as well as the Queen. In this way, the focus is on both the character of Diana and the character of the Queen, conveyed through entirely different mediums. While the Queens portrait is represented through the actual characters judgements, behaviours, thoughts and actions, Diana is manifested through images, media files and the statements of others including the general public. The film achieves these portrayals by combining elements of both melodrama and docudrama, and through several mise-en-scene components, including dialogue, music, costume, props and lighting. Both melodrama and docudra ma are generally identified as sub-categories of drama. Melodrama focuses on emotional premises and interpersonal conflict to appeal to the emotionality of the audience. As a genre it was often ridiculed by theatre critics of the 19th and early 20th centuries but has gained merit in the latter half of the 20th century and is now arguably one of the most written about Hollywood genres (Singer, 2001). It often heightens and exaggerates the plot or the natural and realistic emotional conflicts involved in a story in order to heighten and enhance this type of appeal. It typically involves a heroine and a villain and is often identified with the objective to make the viewer cry, as noted by Neale (1986), â€Å"a feature crucial to melodrama...its ability to move its spectators and in particular to make them cry†. Docudrama on the other hand, is drama based upon actual historical events. It usually attempts to re-enact actual occurrences as true to life as possible, albeit long aft er the event actually happened. An evolution of the documentary genre, â€Å"films based on fact raise so many questions...that for the purposes of study, it is profitable to regard them as belonging to a different species called docudrama†, (Rosenthal, 1999). As a sort of dramatised documentary, this sub-genre has often been questioned for its representation of truth and fact, however, Fraser (1999) postulates that when docudrama is done well, the audience generally understands what is fact and what is fiction. Lipkin (2002) suggests that the premise of a truth within a docudrama, serves to launch the work in a different direction than standard documentation. This film can be categorized within both of these genres, as it features significant elements of both subsets. While the film is quite obviously a docudrama, in that it tells the real story of actual historical events according to accurate dates, locations, people involved and factual events, it also portrays intimate m oments which are not necessarily fact. Such scenes have been interpreted according to general knowledge and common assumptions, often with a view to making them more melodramatic and in line with the emotional conflict of the story. In this way, melodrama is also an identifying aspect of the film. For example, in scenes of Diana’s funeral, real news footage is used, accurate dates are given and even real people involved are shown. The film makes use of

Monday, October 28, 2019

Case Study Wal-Mart Essay Example for Free

Case Study Wal-Mart Essay Evaluate the general environment of Wal-Mart using the framework in Chapter 2. What are the key opportunities and threats facing Wal-Mart? (This is the OT of a SWOT analysis)Wal-Marts builds its stores in towns with a population size of 5000-25,000 people. Wal-Mart has recently started to tap into the more populated city suburbs by building smaller less obtrusive stores in those regions. Wal-Mart targets every age group from infants to senior citizens. Wal-Marts geographically places its stores in rural less populated areas with very few employment opportunities. Wal-Mart tries to attract all income levels by selling brand name items along with generic brand items. Wal-Mart approaches its global market by evaluating market potential based on economic and political risk, growth potential, and availability of real estate for development. In countries that had became saturated Wal-Mart used acquisitions to acquire ownership. In markets that were not saturated and land was easily accessible Wal-Mart used organic growth. The technology that Wal-Mart uses to run their business is unmatched. They have a network of satellites that can track a person purchase and automatically refurbish those items from suppliers without any human intervention. Wal-Mart maximizes efficiency by using effective technology to gain a competitive advantage. Wal-Mart has grown into a global empire and has become the world largest private employer and the number one retailer in the world. Despite all of this success Wal-Mart still has a huge opportunity to grow. Wal-Mart continues to adapt to the ever-changing economy by remodeling their store and by placing the customer as their number one priority. Wal-Mart took advantage of its rural locations early on and gained a significant competitive advantage, now Wal-Mart is taking on the urban environment by placing stores in the outskirts of major metropolitan areas. At first local residents rejected the idea of having a Wal-Mart in their neighborhood for fear it would drive down property value and unwanted individuals to their suburbanite neighborhood. Wal-Mart quickly resolved this problem by changing the format and size of their stores located in these regions. The only threats to Wal-Mart faces are mostly from within (eg..) lawsuits employee disputes and the threat to become unionized. Use Porters Five Forces Model to analyze the global retailing industry. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? Support  your decision. Wal-Mart is a huge threat to new entrants. Wal-Mart has created huge barriers to new entries by offering one stop shopping. Wal-Marts Super Centers offer everything from prepared meals to sports gear. Grocery chains have taken a huge hit because of this, even Kmart is feeling the heat, there stock hit rock bottom in 2004. The discount clothing and apparels have also taken a bite from this retail giant. Wal-Mart has produced a very proficient economy of scale from incremental improvements that they have acquired since becoming so large. Manufactures scramble to try and keep up with the huge demand that Wal-Mart places on its suppliers, this further reduces the prices of goods and services for their customers. Small-scale entries are nearly impossible in a region where Wal-Mart is located. Large-scale entries face the retaliation factor when trying to tap into Wal-Marts market because suppliers are forced to do things the Wal-Mart way. Wal-Mart has successfully customized many of their products and forced manufactures have been forced to produce the Wal-Mart brand. Wal-Mart has taken total control of the bargaining power of suppliers. Wal-Mart has a small group of buyers based in Bentonville Arkansas thats in charge of managing the purchasing of all retail stores. Wal-Mart is responsible for selling 35% of all pet food, 24% of all toothpaste, the largest volume of jewelry, groceries, DVDs, CDs, toys, guns, diapers, sporting goods, bedding, and numerous other things. This has put the retail giant in a very favorable negotiating position with suppliers. Wal-Mart has generated a huge market of loyal buyers by supplying them with the lowest possible prices for quality products. With Wal-Mart having such a huge share of the market and good prices there is no need for buyers to seek deals elsewhere. Wal-Mart has proven to be a huge threat of substitute products in several industries for example the jewelry industry, Wal-Mart has become one of the leading jewelry dealers in the North America. Wal-Mart has also created its own brand name for several of its items that have been so successful that manufactures are forced to produce products bearing the Wal-Mart brand. Wal-Mart competitors have to be very calculated with their responses because Wal-Mart is so large it can really drive a business under ground (Kmart). What is Wal-Marts business-level strategy? Is the strategy appropriate to offset the forces in the industry? Do you recommend any changes? If not, support your decision why you would not recommend any changes. Wal-Mart uses Integrated Lost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy. Wal-Mart has offset the forces in the industry by creating the most efficient supply chain in the industry. Efficient production has allowed Wal-Mart to keep cost low and pass own saving to its customers. Wal-Mart has successfully used Integrated Cost Leadership/Differentiation Strategy by setting the pace in new technology and adapting quickly to new technologies in their external environment. Concentration on the needs of its core customers (discount retailers), Wal-Mart has created a friendly family environment thats economically smart and beneficial to its patrons. Flexibility is one of Wal-Marts strongest assets, which allows them to complete primary and support activities in ways that allow them to produce somewhat differentiated products at a low cost. I would not personally recommend any changes to this strategy because it has made Wal-Mart the worlds largest retailer. What is your evaluation of the leadership at Wal-Mart?Wal-Mart has become the most successful business in the world through its un-yielding leadership. Mr. Walton has laid the foundation for success for years to come. The leaders at Wal-Mart focus on providing the customer with the highest possible quality at the lowest possible cost. They have redefined the retail industry with their cutting edge technology and flexibility that is un-matched by any competitor. The fact that upper management travel in economy class shows a lot about the character within the organization. The leadership at Wal-Mart has made the world we live in much smaller through economic availability and convenience. The leaders at Wal-Mart are a true example of profit through customer satisfaction. Works Cited Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R. (2007), Strategic Management, Competitiveness andGlobalization: Concepts and Cases. 7th ed. Mason: Thomson South-Western(August 21, 2006). Global Labor Strategies: Wal-Mart: The Homefront. RetrievedSeptember 18, 2007,

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Changes In The Narrators View Of Sonny Essays -- essays research p

The Changes in the Narrator's View of Sonny Can one know another's thoughts? Through dialogue, actions, and events, the thoughts and views of a man of whom we know not even a name are shown. The man is the narrator of "Sonny's Blues" and his thoughts we are shown are those directed towards his brother. Over the course of the story, there are three major stages or phases that the narrator goes through, in which his thoughts about his brother change. We see that those stages of thought vary greatly over the narrator's life, from confusion about his brother to understanding. Each phase brings different views of his own responsibility toward his brother, his brother's manhood, and his brother's sense of reality. Through out the story, three of the narrator's view are changed, the first of which is Sonny's manhood. During the first phase, early in the story, the narrator showed that he viewed Sonny as a child. "I was beginning to realize that I'd never seen him so upset before... [and decided this was] one of those things kids go through and that I shouldn't make it seem important."(49) This quote is an example of how the narrator viewed his brother. He not only thought Sonny acted as a kid, but was also too young to be planning a future or career. "He still wasn't a man yet, he was still a child, and they had to watch out for him in all kinds of ways."(51) The narrator decided that he would plan Sonny's future and when Sonny rebelled, the narrator saw it as yet another childish action. Another way in which the narrator's overall view changed was his view on whether Sonny's idea of reality was sound. Still in the first phase, the narrator often presents his view of reality and when Sonny rejects it, the narrator feels Sonny is being unreasonable. For instance, "'Well Sonny,' I said, gently, "you know people can't always do exactly what they want to do-' 'No I don't think that,' said Sonny, surprising me."(49) Actually, Sonny understood life much more clearly than the narrator, but the narrator did not realize that then. He thought that perhaps Sonny was just too young or too high on drugs to understand what life was about. Finally, the third view changed was the narrator's responsibility towards Sonny. Before the brothers' mother died, the narrator promised he would take it upon himself to take care of Sonny shou... ... finally started caring about Sonny instead of try to care for Sonny. He no longer saw him as just something to be taken care of, he finally began to see him as a brother. He became sensitive to what offended Sonny and took caution to avoid them. He was willing to be interested in what Sonny interested in. Finally, he was willing to sit and listen to Sonny instead of telling him how to run his life. All of these were drastic changes from when their mother had first died and improved the brothers' relationship. Through out the story it is as if the narrator is descending a stair well. Each stage that the narrator goes through is another flight of stairs and each flight of stairs he descends brings him closer to an understanding of Sonny. The narrator descended one flight and it changed his views one way, another flight and his views changed again. During the whole ordeal he can see Sonny, yet his views of Sonny are distorted or blurred. After each stage he believes his new view is the correct one, however it is not until he reaches the ground that he gets a true idea of what Sonny is like. It is then that he brings himself down to Sonny's level and begins seeing Sonny as an equal.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Waterfall Model

The waterfall model approach in project management has gotten its name due to the cascading effect of its stages; there is a progress from a certain stage to another like in the waterfall flow. The function and management undergo different stages and step-by-step procedure wherein in a certain stage you cannot jump to the next step without completing and perfecting the previous one, the initial stage serves a prerequisite to the next stage and so on.Also in this approach, once you completed a certain level or stage you can not go back to the prior stage. There is no leaping back and overlapping allowed between different phases. The waterfall model is also referred as the linear sequential model or the software life cycle. This model has eight distinct, sequential phases which are the system viability, system plan, outline design, detail design, coding, execution, and operation and maintenance(in sequential order). Each phase also has a justification or confirmation segments.In justif ication, the result is being tested whether it fits the operation used, meaning the result is being validated. In confirmation, the system structure is being verified to know if correct operations are applied. The model enforces disciplines as it requires the prior stage be completed first before you may proceed with the next phase, as each stage has its starting and ending point and progress can be categorically recognized. This approach is valuable in information technology for the better understanding of the whole system.The operations in information technology are sequential; you cannot understand the higher phase of the system without fully understanding the basics. The output of the previous stage will be the input for the next stage. Furthermore, the model has a sequence of activities that is clear, understandable and easy to follow which makes it easy for everyone to use. In addition, it will present a more accurate project management and control because the system requires completion and perfection of a certain stage before moving on to the next.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

“A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by John Donne Essay

Throughout the years, humans have rewritten what true love means. The contemporary meaning of true love is the feeling of lightheartedness that one experiences when around another human. True love in Shakespeare and Donne’s time period, was a deep spiritual and emotional connection towards two humans. The connection never fades and grows stronger with separation. Many people believe that one can fall in and out of love; however, many poets wrote about a love that will never disappear. The love that they depicted regarded the truest of all loves. As beauty and time fades, true love will remain forever strong. William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 is an extremely well-known poem for its description of true love. The love that the persona describes does not admit impediments and is unchanging and perfect. According to him, love acts like a guiding star for lost ships, not shaken in storms. Love will guide two people throughout their lives and will not fall apart in the stormy times. Shakespeare is completely certain that what he describes is true love to the point where he says that if his statements can be proved false, then he should have never written a single word and that no man has ever been in love. The ideal, romantic love outlasts even death and admits no flaw. Throughout the three quatrains, Shakespeare breaks down love into the simplest forms; in quatrain one, he states that love is not changeable; in  quatrain two, love is a like a fixed mark that guides ships throughout storms; and in the third quatrain, he says that love is not Time’s fool, stating that he is certai n that what he describes is true love. â€Å"It proposes a love which exists in an unchanging present, impervious to time’s millioned accidents† (Hammond 211). The start of the sonnet provides a definition of a love, which eventually excludes all action, identity, and knowledge (211). Shakespeare’s beginning lines of this sonnet are reminiscent of marriage vows that a couple repeats to one another during the service (212). â€Å"Alteration and remover are primarily words to describe infidelity† (213). The Day of Judgment is the only time in which love may cease to exist (Vendler 490). The young man, by mentioning these impediments, has announced  the strengthening of his own attachment to the listener, reinforcing the marriage of true minds. One must wonder how a marriage can last if it is not made of true love. Perhaps the persona realizes that God requires that each partner love the other, through sickness and health, forsaking others until death do each part. Those requirements can only be held onto in a marriage of true love. In another verse, titled A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne, a second persona describes how true love acts and is evident in daily life. Many historians believe that Donne wrote the poem for his wife, Anne Donne, before his departure in 1611, for France. The valediction is the guise in which the speaker attempts to persuade his lover to remain assured of his love while he is gone (Cavanaugh para. 2). He tries to define and rejoice in a love that transcends the physical realm, proving that their love can survive the separation (Bennett 178). The  separation of the lovers is like the separation that is caused by death. The physical bond that he shares with his wife will dissolve quietly like the soul of dying man (Bennett 179). Donne expresses his need for no tears and crying, believing that they should not reveal their sacred love. He asserts that if they would display their affections of their grief, their love would be defiled and would be no better than that love of ordinary people (182). â€Å"When disturbances happen between their love, if he leaves, it will be like the far-off trembling in the heavens and will be innocent and have no major bearing on their relationship† (Bennett 181). The love Donne describes is one that transcends the physical nature of relationships. Ordinary lovers are caught up in the physical presence of the other person; however the perfect love he enjoys does not need the presence of the physical body to survive (183). As speaker and his partner are connected at the soul, they will never be separated, even though their physical bodies might be. In the sixth stanza, Donne describes his love as pure and precious as gold. Their love can be stretched and expanded without damage, just as pure gold is malleable (185). Donne’s most famous comparison occurs in the seventh  stanza, where he compares his love to â€Å"stiff twin compasses.† Joan Bennett describes the compass as the following: The twin compasses are described as two only in the sense that there are two legs joined permanently at the top. One leg, â€Å"the fixed foot† is planted firmly in the center. The other â€Å"travels†, describing a perfect circle, returning to its point of origin. The â€Å"fixed foot† of the center foot â€Å"leans and harkens† after the other that â€Å"far doth roam†. The speaker explains that the center foot, the person who stays at home, makes sure the absent lover comes back to for a complete circle because of its firmness (para. 18). With the circle having no beginning or end, Donne describes what a perfect love is. No man has detailed love in such an unique way that grips at the hearts and souls of the readers. One only hopes to find the love that Donne has expressed. Throughout the two poems, love is shown to be much more than a physical attraction between two people. The attraction between two people can create lust, but a deep connection between two people creates a love in its truest of forms. True love could be likened to a pole to hold on to when a moment in time becomes too difficult. The steadfastness and stability of love are shown vividly throughout these two poems. The male speakers try to prove that love can exist in many forms, yet the one that will last forever is a â€Å"mind connection† that forever binds two people to one another. â€Å"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning† shows how a love can survive by not being continually physical with one another. In the same way, Shakespeare’s Sonnet  116 describes the love between two people as more of a spiritual connection. Both speakers prove that love does not try to change the other person and will accept him as he is. Whether or not the authors were describing love in their lives, their two poems have made humans seek a deeper love with one another. Human nature begs for a connection that cannot be expressed in words. Love transcends time and space. The two poets described true love in almost the same way. The only difference was the direction that each took. Shakespeare compared true love mainly spiritually while Donne was  more metaphysical. Each person has different ideas regarding the qualities in love,  though most are described here in the poems. The connection described in the two poems is evident in marriages that last. Those couples that later spend over fifty blissful years together are those that married for a deep feeling of fulfillment than that of a physical need that was met. True love has become misunderstood in the past years. Shakespeare and Donne realized what it took to make a relationship work and what true love really is. True love stands the test of time and never changes. True love is what it was two hundred thousand years ago and will continue to be in years to come. Love is what makes humans live and co-exist. While Time changes people, love does not change. As an ever-fixed mark, love is always waiting for one to grab hold of and stand with in times of need. The two poems encapsulate what couples repeat in their marriage vows; love is here and will always be near by, and that one another should stand by their partner just as their love will always remain true. Works Cited Vendler, Helen. â€Å"Sonnet 116†. The Art of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. London, England: The Belknap Press, 1998. Hammond, Gerald. The Reader and Shakespeare’s Young Man Sonnets. Totowa, New Jersey: Barnes and Noble Books, 1981. Cavanaugh, Cynthia A. â€Å"The Circle of Souls in John Donne’s A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning†. 18 Nov. 2002. . Bennett, Joan. â€Å"The Love Poetry of John Donne.† John Donne’s Poetry: Authoritative Texts Criticism. Ed. Arthur L. Clements. New York: New York: W.W Norton & Company, 1992. 178-194.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How to Criticize Your Boss Without Losing Your Job

How to Criticize Your Boss Without Losing Your Job Feedback, as any good professional understands, is critically important. There’s nothing like a little constructive criticism to put the fire under your tail feathers and help you to understand and grow past your own limitations. But it isn’t just a one-way street. From time to time, it will be important- even necessary- to give your boss a little feedback too. You should want the kind of employee/boss relationship where that is possible- and work to cultivate it. Here are a few strategies for when you need to offer a little good-natured criticism to your boss without offending him or her or risking your good rapport.1. Pick your moment.If your boss is in the middle of a particularly stressful project or a bad week, you might want to wait until she’s not stomping around fuming with the shortest possible fuse. Let things die down a bit and pick a more peaceful, low-key moment to broach the subject. But do make sure to do it face-to-face. Meeting in person is a muc h better way to make the kind of connection you need for this to work.2. Ask permission.Particularly if you have a more formal relationship with your boss, or you’re nervous about how to broach the subject, it’s always a good idea to ask first. A simple, â€Å"Would you be willing to hear a different perspective on the situation?† or â€Å"Could I offer my two cents?† will work wonders and set the conversation up nicely.3. Keep it light.In this and all office interactions, stay positive. If humor is in your wheelhouse, try a humorous tone if appropriate. Avoid profanity and offensive jokes though; keep it professional. Be playful and as gracious and appreciative as possible. And try to limit your use of the word â€Å"but.† As in: â€Å"I really enjoy working with you but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 4. Back it up.Don’t just assume your ideas are great and worth sharing- better than your boss’s. Support your ideas with facts about production or prod uctivity. And then make sure that your feedback will genuinely help the person. The more you can make it valuable to your boss, the better.5. Make it about you.â€Å"You† statements tend to make people extra defensive. Try to frame everything through your point of view. â€Å"I notice this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It affected me when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And try not to generalize with words like â€Å"always† or â€Å"never.† Think about how an improved relationship would make you a better worker, and explain this, point-by-point, to your boss. If you frame it as â€Å"for the good of the company,† you’re more likely to get a positive response.6. Go in with a game plan.Think through what you’re going to say in advance. The more you plan it out, the better. And find a friend or family member to rehearse it with beforehand. The cooler and more prepared you are going in, the better it will go. If you storm in right on the heels of an annoying email inter action, you’re bound to say something you will later regret.7. Know when to stop.Say what you have to say as quickly, gracefully, and succinctly as you can- then stop. It can be hard, once you get started, to turn the faucet off- particularly if this is the first time you’ve tried giving feedback to your boss. But you’ll need to make sure to quit while you’re ahead and give room for your boss to respond. And try to listen with an open mind! The communication lines, at last, are open.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Installing Gems from Git Repositories

Installing Gems from Git Repositories Many gems are hosted on git repositories, such as the public repositories on Github. However, to get the latest version, quite often there are no gems built for you to install with ease. Installing from git is quite easy though. First, you have to understand what git is. Git is what the developers of the library use to track the source code and to collaborate. Git is not a release mechanism. Its important to note that the version of the software you get from git may or may not be stable. Its not a release version and could contain bugs that will be fixed before the next official release. The first thing you have to do in order to install gems from git is install git. This page of The Git Book explains how to do this. Its rather straightforward on all platforms and once its installed, you have everything you need. Installing a gem from a Git repository is going to be a 4 step process. Clone the Git repository.Change to the new directory.Build the gem.Install the gem. Clone the Git Repository In Git lingo, to clone a git repository is to make a copy of it. Were going to be making a copy of the rspec repository from github. This copy will be a full copy, the same the developer will have on their computers. You can even make changes (though you wont be able to commit these changes back into the repository). The only thing you need to clone a git repository is the clone URL. This is provided on the github page for RSpec. The clone URL for RSpec is git://github.com/dchelimsky/rspec.git. Now simply use the git clone command provided with the clone URL. $ git clone git://github.com/dchelimsky/rspec.git This will clone the RSpec repository into a directory called rspec. This directory should always be the same as the final part of the clone URL (minus the .git part). Change to The New Directory This step, too, is very straightforward. Simply change to the new directory created by Git. $ cd rspec Build the Gem This step is a bit more tricky. Gems are built using Rake, using the task called gem. $ rake gem It may not be that simple though. When you install a gem using the gem command, silently in the background it does something rather important: dependency checking. When you issue the rake command, it may come back with an error message saying it needs another gem installed first, or that you need to upgrade a gem already installed. Install or upgrade this gem using either the gem command or by installing from git. You may have to do this several times depending on how many dependencies the gem has. Install the Gem When the build process is completed, you will have a new gem in the pkg directory. Simply give the relative path to this .gem file to the gem install command. Youll need administrator privileges to do this on Linux or OSX. $ gem install pkg/gemname-1.23.gem The gem is now installed and can be used just as any other gem.